No artifacts or monuments are as symbolic of the University of Washington's history as the four columns standing before you. 

Crafted from cedar, the columns were originally erected in 1861 to support the portico of the Territorial University of Washington's first building at 4th and University Street in what is now downtown Seattle. After the University's relocation to its present-day site at the end of the 19th century, the original building was demolished in 1908; however, thanks to the efforts of distinguished UW alumnus and professor Edmond Meany, the columns were preserved. Three years later, they were erected on the University's new campus a few hundred yards from Denny Hall, in the area now occupied by the Quad. There, Meany and another faculty member, Herbert Condon, named the columns after four values: Loyalty, Industry, Faith, and Efficiency. The columns remained by Denny Hall until 1921, when they were moved to their permanent home in Sylvan Grove. 

The long-standing tradition at the university dictates that all students visit the columns in Sylvan Grove twice during their time at UW: once at the beginning of their college education and once more after their graduation. During each visit, students can reflect on the four values handed down from over a century ago and touch the column that represents the value they most strongly identify with.

So now it's your turn. Mark the beginning of your university experience by touching one of the four columns of the original university building, and become part of a legacy upheld by the thousands of University of Washington students and alumni that have come before you.

View additional source image credits.